Marina and Airia€?s single mother has recently gotten married. Their new step-dad seems like hea€?ll make a loving father. Like a really, really loving father.

My 15-year-old daughter still sleeps with stuffed animals. Is this normal?

When I was roughly 13-14 years old, my school had a lock in.It was basically a sleepover with my middle school class sleeping in the school chapel.I set up my mat next to my friend and proceeded to set up my few possesions: a water bottle, book, and my stuffed purple cow.I'd had that purple cow as long as I could remember, and had assigned it the male gender and the name “Moo” (very original, I know).A part of me was worried that bringing him would seem weird, but I needed the moral support (although it didn't help and I ended up having my parents pick me up and cried all the way home.All those kids in a small space was very overwhelming).A few people commented on it, mostly surprised, and perhaps a bit judgy, but I barely remember that.What I do remember is the friend who'd set up next to me was very pleased I'd brought Moo along because she had brought along her stuffed dolphin (she was 15 at the time).She'd had similar reservations, but had also decided to bring the toy along.Maybe it was weird, but since we’d both done it we felt reassured about our decision.I think we probably pre-planned the decision with each other so we wouldn't feel as weird.
Now, at age 17, the only reason I don't sleep with a stuffed toy is because I keep knocking them off the bed in my sleep, and they don't deserve that, plus they get covered in dust and I have to clean them off.They're still close by on my shelf though.
I also remember my highschool Public Speaking teacher telling us that we should practice in front of our stuffed toys to help us get more comfortable giving our speech to a crowd.I found it interesting that she assumed a bunch of highschoolers would have stuffed toys and that the toys would feel sentient enough in their minds that it would feel like talking to a familiar crowd.A couple kids said it sounded like an ok idea, so it appears she wasn't wrong.
Moral of the story: a 15-year-old sleeping with a stuffed toy is not exactly common, but not weird either.If it makes her happy, let her be.